^^^^^^^^
I have several pairs of gloves. I only use them in feeders because they get greasy and nasty. I added a pair of yellow dishwashing gloves to add as liners when it is wet or really nasty out. Get in the habit of always taking your gloves off, before you climb in the cab. You do not want grease on the steering wheel.
I have a flashlight that I carry on my belt.
I found a large, adjustable wrench in the road and use it to thump the tires and would also use it if I would ever need to swap gladhands. Our regular guys also carry extra rubber seals that go in the gladhands. Mechanics seem to like handing those out.
One of the feeders that I cover has a can of Off in the cab. Mosquitos get pretty thick at dusk and dawn. A little spray around the ankles is pretty nice.
Everything else I carry are things that I carry in a package car. #1 on the list is Imodium. Saved my day more than once.
I also put a roll of that plastic tape the center uses, I use it to wrap around the glad hands particularly the kite if it's a chassis type without the little bar to prevent it from coming off. If it does come off creats a big cloud of blue smoke . (don't ask how I know). Occasionally I'll put it on dolly glad hands, had one of those come off on the Cross Bronx Expressway once. I've seen some guys put wire around glad hands also, or duct tape, elec tape, etc. I like the plastic because it's clear, I was told a driver got a ticket for using wire ties, don't know how true that was.
Also some wire, sometimes the shifters have some for holding open swing door trailer doors when the chains are broken.
I think the guy getting a ticket is because the gladhands are SUPPOSED to break away i.e. apply the spring brakes in case something comes loose. If you tape them or worse wire them, is a big no-no.
My story of a chassis trailer hose coming off(red hose) was quite a ride! Big, long skid marks. I ended up about 6 inches from a highway sign as I slid on the grassy shoulder. I was out looking at the trailer and sign and a State Trooper appeared by my side! He looked at me and said "are you ok?.......you were very lucky" and walked off. I'm not quite sure if he was talking about not hitting the sign or my health. BTW-the tires were flat spotted down to the cords(but were empty). I was told to find a safe place(a business close by) and drop them(they were towed) and bobtail home. Never heard another word.
I was given the same advice about rail boxes from many other senior feeder drivers.
OK. Ask your mgt team if taping or tying the gladhands is LEGAL? Make them give you a definitive answer.....not "well some do...."
It is definitely not legal. It is one of the things the DOT uses in their state fair booth to illustrate inspection horrors. Except their photos show vice grips clamped on the glad hands and the vice grips wrapped in tape.
Have any of you ever worked anywhere else? Just sayin' (sure hope I don't get negative rep) (lol)
The mechanics hate me anyway, because I'm very picky about my equipment,